On Sunday, 24 November, 2024, we had the luxury of witnessing the culmination of the EFG London Jazz Festival at the Barbican. Celebrating thirty years of democracy in South Africa, the event was focused around the theme ‘Ingoma’ — a term which represents the rich tradition of collective expression in South African music. The event was split into three sections, in total showcasing the broad contribution South Africa has made to the music world.

We began with Thandi Ntuli, a South African music legend. Her warm voice was the perfect introduction to the night, accompanied by her beautiful piano playing. She brought Thandiswa Mazwai onto the stage whom she was described as passing the torch onto. Thandiswa Mazwai’s vocals couldn’t be more different, strong, loud, a cry of emotion, but their vocals were so perfectly matched in the duets they played.

This was followed by a collaboration between Soweto Kinch, Bokani Dyer, Tumi Mogorosi, and Keenan Meyer in which they shared their creations with one another. It was like having a private view into the practice room of some South Africa’s greatest musicians as they collaborated together. Their set increased the energy of the evening before the final act.

Following the interval, we were blessed by the music of The Brother Moves On, who brought the house down with their genre-defying blend of spoken word and jazz. Their performance, which included special appearances from Zu and Chelsea Carmichael, was at once political, playful, empowering and moving. The chance to see any of these artists live would be a great opportunity for any — we should thank our lucky stars to the Barbican for the ability to have seen them all together, on the same evening.

More information about Sikelela on Sunday, 24 November, 2024, on the Barbican website.